I was sitting on the floor of my closet this morning, simply putting on my socks before heading down to the Monday morning worship intercession group, when I heard in my spirit, “Log of the Liberator.” Yes, it made sense to me! My father was a B-24 pilot in World War II in the Pacific Theater. Sure enough, out on the bookshelf was the copy of the book “Log of the Liberators” that my toddler son had “given” to his Grandpa for Christmas over 40 years ago. Yes, those crews liberated thousands upon thousands from tyranny, the Norden bomb sight played a critical role in the war’s conclusion, and yes, sadly, I know innocent people lost their lives in that tragic war, but right and liberty DID finally triumph.

What made sense to me, though, was the instant recognition that the Bible is the “Log” of the TRUE Liberator, God Almighty through Jesus Messiah, Christ, who came to truly deliver us all from the domain of darkness and transfer us to the Kingdom of His Beloved Son, in whom we can, if we receive Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection as our liberation from sin, have redemption and deliverance from sin and death. Wow!

Driving the 75+ miles to the worship intercession meeting, I recognized that receiving God’s gift of salvation and love liberates me/you/us from the poison and chains of bitterness and unforgiveness, too! If you don’t think that is real LIBERATION – freedom, keeping us safe from Satan’s baited hooks of offense and bitterness – perhpaps you’ve never been tempted by the actions of others to swallow that poisoned hook. Jesus LIBERATES us to truly, passionately love out of HIS love that He pours into us. What a miracle! The Creator God pours Himself into His creation – you and me – when we confess our sins and our need for God’s saving and transformation and simply receive Jesus as Lord of our life. Salvation, eternal life in Heaven, and Jesus ‘ Presence and God’s Holy Spirit with us, IN us too! I AM LIBERATED! Free! Unchained, to love passionately as God loves, even “unlovable” people, because God loved yes, sin-prone and self-centered from birth me enough to send His Son Jesus as the one and only sacrificial payment for my sin. BOUNDLESS LOVE !

(Thanks, Greg, your song “Boundless Love”was playing on my phone as I drove.) Free to live a life of forgiveness and love, and free to honor God’s commandments BECAUSE HE LOVES ME and I love HIM, not because doing that makes me “lovable.” That’s the power of God’s Grace! I realized,too, that the songs we sing and Bible verses we declare each Monday over all the people who don’t know Jesus’ incredible, lavish gift of love and mercy and grace are the “Love bombs” and ”Grace bombs” and ”Mercy bombs” and ”Deliverance bombs” and “Healing bombs” and ”Freedom from bondage to sin bombs” that we “drop” as we worship, praise, and intercede for the lost we know and the lost we don’t know.

This battleground we’re all born into has only TWO sides (NO,THERE IS NO NEUTRAL GROUND IN THIS WAR), two possible eternities (Heaven, or Hell which is worse than the worst horror movie you’ve ever seen; sorry, no “nothingness” or “neutral zone”), and the 25-ish of us who meet every week FERVENTLY, passionately pray for salvation and TRUE LIBERATION to densely populate Heaven and empty Hell!

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10: 4-5 NIV

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6: 10-18 NIV

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.This is good, and pleases God our Savior,who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles. Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. 1 Timothy 2: 1-8 NIV

And of course Jesus’ own words: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.’But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5: 43-48 NIV

So, Sir, yes, Sir, we take Your words seriously, and each week we ”lift up holy hands, and worship Christ the Lord” and we pray that those who don’t yet know Jesus WILL , as God sends laborers and true revelation of Jesus into the harvest fields of their lives, “Come into His house, and gather in His name to worship Him, worship Him Jesus Christ, as Lord” on the thrones of their lives. THAT IS LOVE! And I KNOW that God doesn’t leave us in this battle alone. On Tuesday, two women, strangers to me, spoke God’s words in capital letters to me, that HE is fighting the battles all around me, and HE will be VICTORIOUS. If that wasn’t affirmation enough for me, two days later, driving out of the metro area to California, FOUR TIMES in four different ways I saw the word “VICTORY.”

Yes, Sir! GOD, YOU get the glory, and the victory is YOURS, so “bombs away!”All we passionately desire to destroy in our intercession is Satan’s lies, deception, bondage to sin and addictions and offense and slavery in others. The”plunder” we want is souls LIBERATED, saved for all eternity to live in unbroken fellowship with Jesus, Holy Spirit and our ABBA, loving Father of all: for them to come home freely, liberated to know, receive and delight in God’s Love.

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Ephesians 4: 1-6 NIV

We sing, we praise, we proclaim, we cry out in passionate longing straight from the Father’s heart, and sometimes, like today, we dance in joy over injustice and dance in joy FOR Jesus. The WORST injustice is to never know Jesus as the Lover of your soul and the Lord of your Life. Yes, the Bible is THE LOG of THE LIBERATOR, and we take seriously our orders from our Commander in Chief, God Almighty, to make war in prayer and praise on evil, blindness to the Light of the World, deafness to God’s voice, and bondage until every, every every life finds Eternal Life in the loving, mighty, passionate arms of Jesus!

We Have Come Into His House
We have come into His house
Gathered in His name to worship Him,
We have come into His house
Gathered in His name to worship Him,
We have come into His house
Gathered in His name to worship Christ, the Lord
Worship Him, Jesus Christ, the Lord.

Let’s forget about ourselves
Concentrate on Him and worship Him,
Let’s forget about ourselves
Concentrate on Him and worship Him,
Let’s forget about ourselves
Concentrate on Him and worship Christ, the Lord
Worship Him, Jesus Christ, the Lord.

Let us lift up holy hands
Magnify His Name and worship Him,
Let us lift up holy hands
Magnify His Name and worship Him,
Let us lift up holy hands
Magnify His Name and worship Christ, the Lord
Worship Him, Jesus Christ, the Lord.

He is all my righteousness I stand complete in Him and worship Him, He is all my righteousnessI stand complete in Him and worship Him, He is all my righteousness I stand complete in Him and worship Christ, the Lord, Worship Him, Jesus Christ, the Lord.

NO “…BUT…”s ABOUT IT TODAY, JUST TELL ‘EM AND PRAY ’EM HOME TO LIBERATING LOVE!

Feeling God’s urgent passion, I sent this email out on the morning of December 20 at 9 a.m. to many of my friends, and within three minutes I received back an email from a friend, Lucy, that absolutely blew my mind. God HAD told me to send it, though I didn’t fully realize why.

My email:

I just got up from on my face on the floor praying, and I’m asked to ask you if you recognize who you are. Do you know you’re a warrior? I don’t know if friends ask you that, but I think this question doesn’t come from me, but from DAD. He created you to carry His glory, to wear His colors and wield His sword on this battlefield you were born into. Yes, you hold His word as a weapon, and yes, HE is strong enough in you to get the job done. He simply needs your willingness, and your recognition of who you truly are, in the deepest part of your being. God created you for victory – and I remember the day I realized that victory implies battle, opposition, overcoming. Yes, you ARE more than enough, because God in you is more than enough.

I usually say be blessed, but today I’m adding be bold, be strong, be brave, be called, be His,

Their email back to me:

Oh Rose. You have been warring for me and for us. I don’t have a lot of time for the details but we are under absolute siege. Short story…in the ice storm and wind yesterday one of our giant maple trees split and is laying in the yard. We were without power for more than 3 hours and the family room ceiling is leaking in multiple places. And our oldest grandson was in the ER last night and today had an emergency appendectomy. All on top of more than 20 guests here. Randy is going to Germany the end of January and some of this is lashback…I’ve had the demonic in my bedroom the past 3 nights. I could go on and on. But I continue to praise Him and acknowledge that He alone is Good. Thank you for sending this.

Called Out,Called His. I may never know you who read this, but it’s as true for you as for my friends Steve and Lucy. God IS a mighty warrior,and He has commissioned you to carry His love, His words, His power, His authority, His encouragement, yes, His warning and exhortation, His wisdom, knowing you are created to be SO much more than you know. He created you to be a vessel of His power, His honor, His love, His, strength, His wisdom, His purposes, His glory. YOU have meaning and purpose! Know it today, live it out,

and remember it forever. It IS who you are!

Pray Psalm 38 as a “..BUT…” today, pray it out loud, and insert your shout of “BUT GOD …”as a proclamation and promise over your life today.

Psalm 18English Standard Version (ESV)

The Lord Is My Rock and My Fortress
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, who addressed the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord rescued him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said:

1 I love you, O Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.

28 For it is you who light my lamp;
the Lord my God lightens my darkness.
29 For by you I can run against a troop,
and by my God I can leap over a wall.
30 This God—his way is perfect;
the word of the Lord proves true;
he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.
31 For who is God, but the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God?—
32 the God who equipped me with strength
and made my way blameless.
33 He made my feet like the feet of a deer
and set me secure on the heights.
34 He trains my hands for war,
so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You have given me the shield of your salvation,
and your right hand supported me,
and your gentleness made me great.
36 You gave a wide place for my steps under me,
and my feet did not slip.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
and did not turn back till they were consumed.

39 For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
you made those who rise against me sink under me.

46 The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,
and exalted be the God of my salvation—

How ironic that the answer to the cry of my heart came out of utter destruction. Over a year ago I prayed to really experience God’s love for me, to move knowledge from my head to reality in my gut. So many of my friends seemed to slip so easily into his heart for them, like stepping into a beautiful ball gown (the sanguine friends) or sliding into a soft, slouchy cashmere sweater (my fellow melancholies).

Maybe I’m so analytical that it took this much agony for God’s Spirit to override my analysis. Whatever the reason, unless you have found yourself as a crumpled shell in the desolate, burned-out crater of the loss of all you once loved or of all you hoped for, you probably can’t comprehend an utter emptiness that is deeper than death – and the resulting desperate longing that compels you directly into the flame of the blazing, ardent, passionate, jealous love God has for you. It takes courage to admit your emptiness and offer it up to God, perhaps the most courageous act any heart can summon the strength to do, because to human understanding, it feels like death.

I found my answer, and how poetic that it came during the Fourth of July weekend – a celebration of freedom.

Again and again in my daily reading in June I came upon verses containing the word “shield.” “Blessed are you, O Israel, a people saved by the LORD. He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword.” (Deuteronomy 33:29) “Okay, nice metaphor,” I asked God, “but painful things are hitting me like flaming arrows. What does it really mean that you are my shield?”

Then over the July 4th weekend I house-sat for some friends for four days, partly to help their home look “lived in” while they were away, and partly to get away from the relentless stress I was under at home. Sitting on their front porch that Sunday morning, listening to birds chirp in the mulberry trees and delighting in the crisp white picket fence bordering their lawn, I opened my Bible for my devotional reading and it fell open to Song of Songs – a place I never go for inspiration. There it was, nonetheless, Song of Songs 3:1: “Come out you daughters of Zion, and look at King Solomon wearing the crown, the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, the day his heart rejoiced.”

Hmmmm . . . okay. And then my eye crossed the page to 4:7

“All beautiful you are, my darling; there is no flaw in you.”

Tears streamed from my eyes. In my spirit I sensed the Holy Spirit telling me (and you, too!) that the Father put a crown on Jesus the day I (and you) came to salvation and became his own, our “wedding” day with him. On that day Jesus’ heart rejoiced! He sees me as absolutely ravishing, with no flaw at all, thanks to his righteousness which robes me.

Caveat here – I don’t get visions or dreams from God. How I wish I did, but the way he sometimes speaks to me is by pouring sudden understanding like a heap of treasure into my mind and heart. I dig into the pile, pulling up sparkling strands of thoughts and images that come together in beautiful clarity. Frequently the thoughts take the shape of analogies from unusual places. That morning the first strand I pulled up was a scene from the movie “Cleopatra” (not at all a spiritual motion picture!), specifically to a scene of a triumphal procession into Rome. Almost instantly 2 Corinthians 2: 14 came up in my other “hand”: “Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ,” entangled with Ephesians 4:8 “When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.” I could hear trumpets and drums, but it wasn’t Cleopatra and her retinue marching in; the captives Jesus led into the throne room of Heaven, including me, including you, are not the conquered, but the rescued and ransomed! Aha! I saw myself standing on the steps of the throne of God, alongside the victor, Jesus, who holds his sword and shield . . . .

Two days later at our weekly Bible study, our church outreach director spoke on Ephesians 6 and the armor of God. Trumpets up again in my memory, God poured another armful on the pile of my understanding. Ephesians 6:12-13 reads: “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm, then . . . . ” In quick succession, two friends in the study who didn’t know what I am going through shared these verses:
Genesis 15:1 “Do not be afraid, I am your shield, your very great reward.” NIV

Exodus 14:14 “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” NIV

Proverbs 21:1 “The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes. NIV

Wait a minute! Christ holds his sword in his left hand, so if he is my shield and glorious sword . . . that means I am on Jesus’ left side, sheltered behind HIS shield! If I am on his left, and he is at the right hand of God, then the Father is on my left side, and I stand sheltered between them both.

Aha! I sensed that my warfare now is simply standing, and where I stand in this battle is on the steps of the throne of God at Jesus’ left side, his shield (that’s his faithfulness) in his left hand covering and shielding my heart, mind and spirit, and his right hand (his promises and his sovereign power) fighting the battle for me. My job is to stay out of the way of his sword-swinging right hand and simply cheer him on with my shout, “Yes, Jesus, do all you plan and purpose and desire!”

The chains of my captivity to the effects of betrayal, fear, and anger lie thrown down on the steps of the throne of God as a trophy of Jesus’ victory in my life on the day I took him as my savior and he took me as his own beloved. I am a trophy of Jesus’ triumph. I am a TROPHY BRIDE! I am FREE (no matter what is going on in my life), and I am ecstatic to be in Christ’s embrace as he lifts me upon his shoulder and shows the hosts of heaven, “This is one I have set my love upon!”

I know Song of Songs can be seen as a metaphor for the love God has for us, the Bride of Christ, the Church – not the institution, but the individuals who comprise the Church – so I believe the “extrapolation” (there goes my analytical mathematical side again) God gave me to us as individuals is not heresy. I sensed the Holy Spirit affirming (to you, too, even if you are a man!) that the Father put a crown on Jesus the day I (and you) came to salvation and became his.

He rejoices in you, his trophy and prize, the one he fought for, the beloved one whose salvation is a crown upon his head! In the middle of whatever battle you are facing, even if you feel you are chained to your past or sitting in the smoking ashes of your hopes, dreams, health, relationships, security, and future, REJOICE in the truth that Jesus ended all of your captivity and fights now for you! Stand and rejoice in whose you are and where you stand!

“You Raise Me Up”
Brendon Joseph Graham, Rolf U. Lovland

When I am down, and oh, my soul so weary,
When troubles come and my heart burdened be,
Then I am still and wait here in the silence
Until you come and sit a while with me.

You raise me up so I can stand on mountains,
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas.
I am strong when I am on your shoulders,
You raise me up to more than I can be.

A “…BUT…” to move: Almighty God, my Warrior Savior Jesus, I’m facing a battle bigger than I can win in ________________________________________________________l. I feel ________________________________________________ BUT I know, my God, you’ve said ________________________________________________________________________________ and I know that I know you love me, even when I don’t feel it . I may feel conquered, BUT you are the Conqueror, so in faith I ask you to __________________________________________________________________ and I proclaim, by faith in your power, goodness, and love, that you are even now winning and conquering _______________________________________________
______________________________________________________________. If/where I messed it up and tried to take Your sword myself, or my own small dagger, and ____________________________________________________________________, help me to truly believe that no playoff Yours can be thwarted, not even by me! (Job 42:2) and many are the plans in a man’s heart, but your purposes prevail! (Proverbs 19:21) Oh, Jesus, you said”The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.” (Luke 18:27) Help me to stand, to put on the armor of God and stand proclaiming You love me, and daring to proclaim you are able to turn __________________________________________________________________________________________. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!